A spate of grassfires along the Werribee River has Werribee brigade members worried.
First Lieutenant Darryl Wells said Werribee fire brigade attended nine fires over a six-day period (February 13-19), all of which are believed to have been deliberately lit.
“My message to whoever is lighting these fires is to not do it,” Mr Wells said. “Think of what the consequences are.
“Any one of these fires could’ve taken hold and threatened life and property along the river, not to mention wildlife. The fires threaten not only the people using the walking tracks but also the river valley.
“If they gain sufficient intensity, they could pose a great threat.”
He said at least three tankers had responded for each fire.
“In the case of two fires being lit at the same time – which we saw last week – six units come from all over Wyndham.
“We put a lot of resources into fires and those vehicles travelling with lights and sirens put the public at risk when we move quickly.
“Attending nuisance fires also ties up volunteers and crews, with the brigade then unable to respond to kids locked in cars, house fires or serious car accidents.”
Mr Wells said if anybody knew anything about the fires, it was important they report it to authorities.
“It’s not about dobbing in a mate,” he said. “Do the right thing and protect your community.”
Police investigating the fires are treating them as suspicious. “We want to resolve [this issue] before it becomes potentially more serious,” Wyndham police’s Acting Inspector Damien Madden said.
“Thankfully, they’re small grassfires at this point, but we’re still in February, we’re still in a high fire danger period, and that sort of behaviour is pretty concerning.”
Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000.
